e bag. In his rustic
innocence he stepped between my nagging gentleman and myself. The
gentleman at this ran forward in an access of rage, and threw Nicolas
aside, saying, "Out of the way, knave! You're as great a clown as your
master."

"Hands off! How dare you?" I cried, clapping my hand to my sword.

"If you come a step nearer, I'll kill you!" he replied, grasping his own
hilt.

I sent a swift glance around. There was no witness but Nicolas. Yet a
scuffle would draw people in ten seconds. Even at that moment, with my
heart beating madly, I thought of the edict against duelling: so I said,
as calmly as I could:

"If you dare draw that sword, I see trees beyond that gateway--a garden
or something. It will be quieter there." I pointed to a narrow exit at
the rear of the yard.

"I will show you whom you're dealing with, my lad!" he said,
breathlessly, and made at once for the gate. I followed. I could see now
that, though a bully, he was not a coward, and the discovery fell upon
me with a sense of how grave a matter I had been drawn into.

At the gate I looked around, and saw Nicolas following, his eyes wide
with alarm. "Stay where you are, and not a word to anybody," I ordered,
and closed the gate after me. My adversary led the way across a
neglected garden, and out through a postern in a large wall, to where
there was a thicker growth of trees. We passed among these to a little
open space near the river, from which it was partly veiled by a tangled
mass of bushes. The unworn state of the green sward showed that this was
a spot little visited by the townspeople.

"We have stumbled on the right place," said the young gentleman, with an
assumption of coolness. "It's a pity the thing can't be done properly,
with seconds and all that." And he proceeded to take off his doublet.

I was sobered by the time spent in walking to the place, so I said,
"It's not too late. Monsieur, if you are willing to apologize."

"I apologize! Death of my life! You pile insult on insult."

"I assure you, it is you who have been the insulter."

He laughed in a way that revived my heat, and asked, "Swords alone, or
swords and daggers?"

"As you please." By this time I had cast off my own doublet.

"Rapiers and daggers, then," he said, and flung away his scabbard and
sheath. I saw the flash of my own weapons a moment later, and ere I had
time for a second thought on the seriousness of this event--my first
fight in earnest--he was ke